Electrical testing apparatus



y 1940 v c. PAULSON 2,201,562

ELECTRICAL TESTING APPARATUS Filed May' 14, 1938 B7527, WM

- Arrow/z?- Patented N lay 21, 1940 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL TESTING APPARATUS Christian Paulson, Elmlm'rs't, 111., assimito Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New

York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May, 1938, Serial No. 207,927

14 Claims.

- This invention relates to electrical testing apparatus and more particularly to testing apparatus for automatically making a series of tests of a piece of electrical apparatus as it moves past a testing position on aconveyor'system.

' It is an object of the'present invention to pro- In accordance with one embodiment of the.'

invention, a jigor fixture travelling .on the conveyor belt of a conveyor system-carries a coil, such as, for example, an induction coil for use in telephone apparatus, pasta testing station where the coil is to be subjected.- to a series of electricalte'sts. The jig is provided with'an abutment for engaging a part .of the apparatus in the testing station to cause an arm, mounted on a travelling carriage, to move a search coil into the coil under test and to cause the terminals of the coil under test to be interconnected. with. certain electrical testing circuits. As the jig moves through the testing station, the carriage will travel with it and a second abutment on the jig will automatically and in sequence render the electrical testing circuits efiective. Assoonas the jig reaches a predetermined point where the tests have been completed, the movable arm of the carriage will be disengaged from the coil and the .carriage will move to its normal position under spring pressure to put it in readiness for the next jig on the conveyor belt. 7

An understanding of the details of the invention may be had by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a plan view .of a section of a conveyor system wherein the testing apparatus is located;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view, taken along the. line 2 2 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows showing the details of construction of the travelling carriage, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on erencecharacters designate the same parts throughout the several views, the numeral HI designates a conveyor belt forming a part of a conveyor system for transferring parts 'of telephone apparatus between the various assembly and testing stations of the conveyor system wherein the parts of the apparatus are assembled and tested- The belt l0 carries a plurality of jigs ll, all exactly the same in construction.

actuate a series of circuit closing switches to Mounted on the jig II is a coil supporting block l2 of insulating material composed of a base It and cooperating coil receiving. members l4 and I5 which havesemi-circul-ar cut-outs, to-receive the spool headof a coil, designated generally by the numeral II. The member I5 is cut out along the line It (Fig. 2) to receive terminals l9.of the coil under test. Secured to the member N (Fig. 2) and mounted in a depression 20 in the member I3 is a spring-pressed contactor 2 i which is held in the member l5 by means of a bolt 22, which not only serves to'hold the contactor 2| in engagement with the terminals i9, 'but also "serves as-an extension of the terminal [9 since the upper end of the bolt 22 is adapted to be engaged by a spring-pressed plunger 23 mounted in a pivoted arm, designated generally by the numeral 24. g The coil has, in addition to the terminals [9, a pair of terminals 30 mounted directly above the terminals l9 and adapted to be engaged by spring-pressed plungers 3|, also carried by the left end-(Fig. 2) of the arm 25. As will be apsecured to the arm 26 which is substantially U-shaped in cross-section (Fig. 3) and carries an insulator 36 for supporting the contactors or plungers 3| and 23, respectively. Another insulater 35 mounted on the spring 34 supports th search coil 33.

The arm 24 is pivoted on a carriage, designa generally by the numeral 40, by means of a pair of pivot pins or trunnions 4| and is normally urged out of theposition shown in Fig. 2 by a contractile spring 42 fixed to the lower end of a substantially U-shaped bar 43, which is fixed to and extends over the arm 25. A rectangular bracket 50 (Fig. 3) is ijixed to the underside of the arm 24 and has a pin 5! mounted in its base and extending upwardly therefrom. Surroundlng the pin 5'! is a compression spring 52, which engages the upper surface of the bracket 50 and normally holds a plate 53 in. the position shown, whereit rests on the base of the bracket 50. This plate 53 is pivoted at 54 to the arm 24 and carries at its right end (Fig. 2) a roller 55.

The carriage 40 is provided with six rollers Gil-60, which engage three rods} |6l comprisits positions. A contractile spring 55 connected to the end plates 82 at 88 (Fig. 1) and to the carriage at 81 normally tends to draw the carriage to the left and a dash pot 68, with the usual plunger is provided to prevent a too rapid return of the carriage to its normal position, when it is released by the jig ii.

The arm 24, which is normally held tilted out of the position shown in Fig. 2 by the spring 42, is moved downwardly to the position. shown in Fig. 2 by the roller 55 on plate 58, riding up over a cam surface 18 formed 'on a pivoted member 12 and onto a track II when the carriage 48 is moved to the right (Fig. 1). The arm 24 will be maintained in the position shown in Fig. 2 while the roller 55 traverses the track 1|. However, as soon as the roller 55 reaches the right end (Fig. 1) of the track II, it will drop down off the track and the arm 24 will be tilted .by the-spring 42. The roller 55 will thus 'be permitted to pass back under the track 1| to normal position and in so doing, the end of the roller 55 will engage a cam face 12, formed on the member 13 and cam the member 12 about its pivot 14. As the carriage 48 reaches the extreme end of its travel to the right (Fig. 1), it will momentarily close a pair of contacts 15, and as it returns to normal, will cause the member 12 to open a pair of contacts l6 momentarily to control the electrical circuits (not shown) of the apparatus.

The carriage 48 is moved to the right by an abutment 88 on the jig engaging a pin 8| mounted on the right end (Fig. 1) of a lever 82. The lever 82 is pivoted at 83 upon an arm 84 fixed to the side of the carriage. A spring 85 engages the arm 84 and lever 82 to normally hold the lever 82 against a stop pin 88, as shown in Fig. 1, where the pin II will be in the path of the abutment 88. The lever 82 has a cam surface 88 formed thereon, adapted to engage a roller 8| as the carriage reaches the end of its travel to the right (Fig. 1), to cam the pin 8| out of the path of the abutment 88. thereby to permit the spring to draw the carriage back to its normal position. I

As the abutment 88 moves the carriage 48 to the right (Fig. 1), a cam 82, formed on the jig I |,will engage aplurality of spring pressed rollers 8888 in succession to momentarily close contacts 84--84 associated with the rollers 88 in automatic succession to complete variouscircults in the testing apparatus in a predetermined order to make the desired tests.

It is believed that a better understanding of the invention will be had from the following brief description ofthe apparatus, starting with the carriage in its extreme left position, slightly to the left of that shown in 1, where the arm 24 will be tilted out of the position shown in Fig. 2. As the jig moves in the direction of the arrow, (Fig. 1) on the belt l8. the abutment 88 will strike the pin 8| to move the carriage to the right (Fig. 1).. As the carriage moves to the right, roller 55 will engage the cam surface 18 and pass up onto the track II. In so doing, the arm 24 will be tilted to the position shown in Fig. 2, where the search coil 88 will be within the aperture 22 of coil II. If the head of the coil I1 is improperly formed or if for any other reason the search coil 83 strikes an obstruction and is prevented from moving to its position, as shown in Fig. ,2, the spring 84 will be flexed and if some other obstruction prevents the arm 24 from moving the plungers 23 and II to the position shown in Fig. 2 the spring 52 will be compressed and the contacts 84-84 will be closed in automatic succession, but the plungers 2| and 23 will not complete the circuits through the coil terminals and the apparatus will therefore not be harmed nor will a false indication of the characteristics of the coil be given. However, if the search coil 82 enters the coil l1, and the plungers 22 and 2| engage the bolt 22 and coil terminal 28, respectively, the circuits of the apparatus will be connected to the terminals I8 and 88 of the coil, and as the carriage 48 moves to the right, the various electrical tests will be made, and just before the carriage reaches its extreme right-hand position, the roller 55 will come to the end of the track Ii and will drop down, permitting the spring 42 to tilt the arm 24 and withdraw the search coil 22 from the coil under test and disengage contacts 22 and 3|.f The carriage will cause the closure of the contact 15 and thereupon the camming surface 88 of lever 82 will havebeen moved sumciently by the roller 8| to move the pin 8| out of the path of the abutment 88, whereupon the spring 85 will rapidly draw the carriage 48 back to the normal position, where the next succeeding jig II will initiate a second testing operation.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been described hereinbefore, it will be understood that it is subject to many modifications and adaptations and is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Electrical testing apparatus, including a search coil, a plurality of circuits adapted to be operated in sequence, a jig for supporting an article to be tested, and means actuated by said jig for moving the search coil into association with the article to be tested.

2. Electrical testing apparatus, including a search coil, a plurality of circuits adapted to be operated in sequence, a jig for supporting an article to be tested, means actuated by said jig for moving the search coil into association with the article to be tested, and means on'said jig for completingsaid circuits.

3. Electrical testing apparatus, including a to be operated in sequence, a jig for supporting an article to be tested, means for moving said jig through a predetermined path, and means actuated by said jig for moving the search coil into association with said article and for automatically returning said search coil to normal position.

4. An electrical testing apparatus, a jig for supporting an article to be tested, means for moving, said jig through a predetermined path,

a testing member,.a carriage for pivotally supporting said testing member, means on said jig for moving said carriage through a predetermined path, and means associated with said carriage for moving said testing member into association with the article.

5. In an electrical testing apparatus, a search coil, a pivoted arm for supporting said search coil, and means for moving said search coil into association with an article to be tested while, the

search coil and article are moving in a made termined plane. 1

6. A testing apparatus including a search coil, means for movably supporting said coil, a carriage for carrying said means through a pro determined path. and means operable in. response to movement oi said carriage in one direction for moving said supporting means to move the search coil into association with an article to be tested.

7. A testing apparatus including means for moving an article to be tested through a predetermined path, a test member, means for movably supporting said test member, a reciprocable carriage for carrying said supporting means through a predetermined path, and means for moving said supporting means into association with said article during the movement of the carriage through said pathinone direction.

8. A testing apparatus including means for moving an article to be tested through a predetermined path, a test member, means for movably supporting said test member, a reciprocable carriage for carrying said supporting means through a predetermined path parallel to the path of the article, and means for moving said supporting means into association with said article during'the movement of the article through said path and for permitting the supporting means to move out of association with the article at the end of said path.

9. In a testing apparatus, a travelling carriage movable through a predetermined path, a test member pivotally mounted on said carriage, a track adjacent the path of said carriage, means associated with said test member for cooperating with said track to move said test member about its pivot, and means adjacent said track for rendering the test member operative 'during opposite direction.

11. In a testing apparatus, an article supporting jig movable in a predetermined path. an

the coil and article.

abutment formed on said jig, a testing element, a carriage for supporting the testing element, a'pin carried by said carriage'and normally positioned in the path of the abutment on the jig for moving the carriage, and means for camming the-pin out of the path of the abutment at the end of travel of the carriage.

12. In a testing apparatus, an article supporting jig movable in a predetermined path, an abutment formed on said jig, a testing element, a carriage for supporting the testing element, a pin carried by said carriage and normally positioned in the path of the abutment on the jig abutment formed on said jig, a'testing element,

a carriage for supporting the testing element, a pin carried by said carriage and normally positioned in the path of the abutment on the jig for moving the carriage, means for camming the pin out of the path of the abutment at the end of'travel of the carriage, means associated with the carriage for moving the testing element into association with the article on the jig, a normally closed electrical contact, and means controlled by the testing element moving means for opening said contact upon movement of the carriage in one direction.

-- 14. Electrical testing apparatus including a search coil, a plurality oi circuits adapted to be operated in sequence, a jig for supporting an article to be tested, means actuated by. said jig for moving the search coil into association with the article to be tested, and means on said jig gorcompleting said circuits during movement of cams-rim Pierson. 

